BigBlueButton Workshop
BigBlueButton (BBB) is a free and open-source online teaching platform. It can be freely installed on an institution's server. However, schools will find it difficult to self-host. Hosting service providers are Chiguru and BigBlueButton, who provide limited services free of cost and a fuller range of services (such as recording of the sessions) against payment.
A simple user manual on BBB is available in English and in Kannada
Objectives
- To become familiar with an online teaching platform
- To interact with students and other teachers on the platform
- To use specific features for online teaching
Basic familiarity
Creating a BBB account for your school
Creating BBB class rooms for each class+section(+group)
Each teacher can teach in the classrooms they are attached to
Interact with students and others on the platform
Form teams of two teachers, every teacher teaching on the platform will need a second teacher for support. This is necessary as watching students, encouraging participation, responding to student queries on chat, requires a second teacher to support
Recording of the sessions
The free BBB service does not provide for recording of sessions, but if the school requires this, they can get commercial providers for this service.